Multiple Intelligences

When Howard Gardner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences (MI) in the early 1980s, he proposed a departure from the conventional view of intelligence. In MI theory, Gardner (1999) defined intelligences as “a biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture” (pp. 33–34). In contrast to g, a measure of general intelligence that is typically assessed using standardized intelligence tests or achievement tests (such as the SAT or ACT), MI theory has delineated at least eight intelligences that all people have available to them, and use, throughout their lives. It is important to note that, although everyone has access to all of the multiple intelligences, most people ...